Chitchat Chinese researchers find Zika antibodies

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[h=2]Chinese researchers find Zika antibodies[/h] CRI Online 08:37, December 16, 2016


Chinese researchers have identified two Zika antibodies from an infected patient
that could provide mice with complete protection against the mosquito-borne virus.

The finding could lead to the development of anti-Zika therapies and vaccines.

Yan Jinghua, with the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Microbiology,
said the antibodies exclusively target the Zika virus, and show great potential for curing microcephaly.


"We seldom have a drug with specificity for the treatment of a viral disease, especially for Zika virus.
However, this antibody has high specificity for Zika virus. After the mice were infected with Zika virus,
we gave them antibody therapy. The virus was then completely eliminated."


The researchers isolated immune B cells from the blood of an infected patient returning from Venezuela to China,
who later recovered and generated a total of 13 antibodies that were confirmed to bind to the virus.


Two of these antibodies, known as Z23 and Z3L1, potently eliminated the Zika virus in the laboratory.
Structural analysis has suggested that the two antibodies block infection by targeting sites on the virus'

envelope protein, which is known to facilitate virus entry into cells.

Researchers say it may only take two days to isolate the antibodies, and more than ten days to verify their functions.
So one month is enough for the whole process.



The study has been published online in the U.S. journal Science Translational Medicine.

 

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[h=2]Antibodies isolated from Chinese patient may lead to promising treatments for Zika: study[/h] 08:45, December 15, 2016

Chinese researchers said Wednesday they have identified two Zika antibodies from an infected patient
that could provide mice with complete protection against the mosquito-borne virus, a finding that could
lead to the development of much needed anti-Zika therapies and vaccines.


The study, published online in the U.S. journal Science Translational Medicine, was conducted by the
research groups of Professors Jinghua Yan and George Fu Gao from the Chinese Academy of Sciences's
Institute of Microbiology.


Unlike other human antibodies under investigation that recognized both Zika and the closely related dengue virus,
the antibodies used in this study exclusively targeted Zika, demonstrating a high specificity that could be important
in avoiding potential side effects, such as enhanced dengue infection in regions where both viruses are endemic.


The researchers isolated immune B cells from the blood of a Zika-infected patient returning from Venezuela to China
who later recovered and generated a total of 13 of antibodies that were confirmed to bind the virus.


Two of these antibodies, known as Z23 and Z3L1, potently eliminated Zika virus in vitro, without cross-reacting with
dengue virus strains, and shielded mice completely from Zika virus infection.


Structural analysis suggested that the two antibodies block infection by targeting sites on the virus' envelope protein,
which is known to facilitate virus entry into cells.

"Our results highlight the promise of antibody-based therapeutics and provide a structure-based rationale for the design
of future Zika-specific antivirals and vaccines," Yan told Xinhua.

"Meanwhile, we have developed a platform that can isolate strongly neutralizing, specific monoclonal antibodies against
any pathogen from the sera of convalescent patients in a short time, providing a powerful tool to control and limit the
number of infections from future outbreaks," she said.


Zika has caused global concern due to accumulating evidence suggesting that infection is associated with a birth defect
known as microcephaly in newborns and neurological complications, such as Guillain-Barre syndrome, in adults.

Currently, there are no treatments or vaccines for the virus.

 

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23 Chinese nationals in Singapore confirmed to have been infected with Zika


SINGAPORE -- The Chinese Embassy in Singapore on Thursday said that 23 Chinese nationals in the city state
are confirmed to have been infected with Zika virus.


Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) on Thursday confirmed that foreigners account for 57 of 115 Zika cases in Singapore
so far, including 23 from China's mainland and one from China's Taiwan.


MOH added that all of the 57 foreigners who tested positive for Zika in Singapore had "mild illness" and most have recovered.

Latest updates December 2016 in Singapore: 500 Zika cases reported.